Cranford station

Last updated

Cranford
Cranford Station.jpg
Cranford station in August 2014.
General information
LocationSouth Avenue (CR 610) and High Street, Cranford, New Jersey
Coordinates 40°39′20″N74°18′10″W / 40.6555°N 74.3028°W / 40.6555; -74.3028
Line(s)Raritan Valley Line
Distance16.1 miles (25.9 km) from Jersey City [1]
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone7
History
OpenedJanuary 1, 1839 [2] [3]
Rebuilt1844, 1869, [4] 1906, [2] October 1928May 16, 1930 [5] [6]
Previous namesFrench House (18391869) [4]
Passengers
20121,264 (average weekday) [7]
Services
Preceding station NJT logo.svg NJ Transit Following station
Garwood
toward High Bridge
Raritan Valley Line Roselle Park
toward New York or Hoboken
Former services
Preceding station Conrail Following station
Terminus Cranford–Bayonne Shuttle Roselle
Preceding station Central Railroad of New Jersey Following station
Westfield
toward Scranton
Main Line Roselle–Roselle Park
toward Jersey City
Garwood
toward Somerville
Somerville – Jersey City
Local
Aldene
toward Jersey City
Location
Cranford station

Cranford is an active commuter railroad station in the township of Cranford, Union County, New Jersey. Trains operate between High Bridge and Newark Penn Station (with limited trains continuing to New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal) on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line. The next station east is Roselle Park while west is Garwood. Cranford station contains two side platforms to service three tracks and is accessible for handicapped persons under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Contents

History

Cranford station opened as French House with the opening of the Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad on January 1, 1839. The first station was built in 1844, replaced itself in 1869, when it attained its current name of Cranford. [4] The 1869 depot came down in 1905, replaced with a new depot in 1906. The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) replaced the station in 1929 and 1930 when they began a track elevation process in October 1928. In 1967, the construction and opening of the Aldene Plan, resulting in the line using the former Lehigh Valley Railroad alignment into Newark rather than continuing to Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City. This resulted in a shuttle service between East 33rd Street station in Bayonne and Cranford station. This service operated until August 6, 1978. [8]

NJ Transit considered Cranford station as a stop of the Union go bus expressway, a bus rapid transit service utilizing the former CNJ alignment between Cranford and Elizabeth. [9] [10] [11]

Station layout

The station has two high-level side platforms serving two tracks. The inbound platform is 645 feet (197 m) long while the outbound platform is 666 feet (203 m) long; both can accommodate six cars. [12]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NJ Transit</span> Public transportation system

New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. It operates buses, light rail, and commuter rail services throughout the state, connecting to major commercial and employment centers both within the state and in its two adjacent major cities, New York City and Philadelphia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 209,259,800.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raritan Valley Line</span> Commuter rail line in New Jersey and New York

The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Essex, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region, primarily in central New Jersey and a smaller portion of northern New Jersey, in the United States. The line's most frequent western terminus is Raritan station in Raritan. Some weekday trains continue farther west and terminate at the High Bridge station, located in High Bridge. Most eastbound trains terminate in Newark; passengers are able to transfer to NJ Transit using a combined ticket or PATH and Amtrak to New York City. A limited number of weekday trains continue directly to New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldene Connection</span> Railroad junction in New Jersey

The Aldene Connection is a connection between two railroad lines in the Aldene neighborhood of Roselle Park, New Jersey, United States, one formerly belonging to the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), the other formerly of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The connections allow trains on the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line to travel from Cranford and points west through stations in Roselle Park and Union to the Hunter Connection in Newark, which in turn allows access to the Northeast Corridor and Newark Penn Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union County Light Rail</span>

The Union County Light Rail was a proposed light rail system connecting Newark Airport to midtown Elizabeth, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union station (NJ Transit)</span> NJ Transit rail station

Union is a NJ Transit railroad station in Union, New Jersey. Located on the Conrail Lehigh Line, Union is served by Raritan Valley Line trains that travel between Newark Penn Station and Raritan. There is also limited service to and from High Bridge and New York Penn Station and one morning train to Hoboken Terminal. The physical structures of the station are owned by NJ Transit; however, the land remains the property of Conrail Shared Assets Operations, which is in turn owned by Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garwood station</span> NJ Transit rail station

Garwood is a New Jersey Transit (NJT) railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Garwood, New Jersey. There are two short, low platforms on each side, long enough for two cars only. Passengers using the inbound platform must cross over a siding track. Access to neighboring stations is available on the 59 or 113 bus to Newark and New York, traveling between Cranford and Westfield stations. Since June 2011, a ticket vending machine (TVM) has been available on the inbound platform. The former Jersey Central Railroad depot, built in 1892, burned in an early morning fire on June 30, 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westfield station (NJ Transit)</span> NJ Transit rail station

Westfield is a New Jersey Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanwood station</span> NJ Transit rail station

Fanwood is a New Jersey Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Fanwood, Union County, New Jersey, United States. The building on the north side of the tracks is a Victorian building and, like the north building at Westfield, is used by a non-profit organization. The address is Fanwood Station, 238 North Avenue, Fanwood, Union County, New Jersey. The ticket office is in the station building on the south side of the tracks. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherwood station</span> NJ Transit rail station

Netherwood is a New Jersey Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Plainfield, Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located along North Avenue at the intersection of Netherwood Avenue and along South Avenue at the intersection of Belvedere Avenue. The station has a ticket vending machine, and the station house itself is located off of South Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plainfield station</span> NJ Transit rail station

Plainfield is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Plainfield, Union County, New Jersey, United States. One of two train stations in Plainfield, this station serves the central part of the city. The ticket office and waiting area are in the south side station house. It was the westernmost station on the line with ADA accessibility, until Somerville's new high-level platforms were opened on December 7, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bound Brook station</span> NJ Transit rail station

Bound Brook is a New Jersey Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Bound Brook, New Jersey. The station building on the north side of the tracks is now a restaurant; the other station building on the south side is now privately owned. A pedestrian tunnel connects the south and north sides of the tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerville station</span> NJ Transit rail station

Somerville is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, located south of the downtown center of Somerville, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The historic station building on the north side of the tracks has been restored and now is used by a law firm. Parking lots are located to the south of the station and there is a tunnel there to access the platforms. Like many of the stations on the Raritan Valley Line, Somerville was not a wheelchair accessible station until December 7, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Branch station</span> NJ Transit rail station

North Branch is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in the hamlet of North Branch in Branchburg, New Jersey. The station is in a residential area, a mile to the south of North Branch center. The station has a small shelter with no facilities and is across the street from the Printmaking Council of New Jersey. North Branch station and the stations west of it have no weekend service. The former Jersey Central Railroad station depot burned to the ground on January 8, 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House station</span> NJ Transit rail station

White House is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in the Whitehouse Station section of Readington in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The station is on the west side of Main Street in the center and the station building has subsequently been turned into a branch library for the Hunterdon County Library system. This station has no weekend service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanon station (NJ Transit)</span> NJ Transit rail station

Lebanon is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line in Lebanon, New Jersey. There is a station building on the north side of the tracks. It was designed in 1899 by New York City architect Bradford Gilbert for the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The southern track is no longer in use and the stop has no weekend service. The station was purchased by the town in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annandale station</span> NJ Transit rail station

Annandale is the penultimate station heading westbound on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line, located in the Annandale section of Clinton Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The station is located just off interchange 18 of Interstate 78 at the junction of Main Street and East Street. The final stop before High Bridge, it has one low-level side platform, with a shelter, 77 parking spaces and bicycle racks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Bridge station</span> NJ Transit rail station

High Bridge is a railway station in High Bridge, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The station is the western terminus of the New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line. The next station eastward is Annandale. The parking lot for the station is located one block to the west. The station only uses the southern track for inbound and outbound trains. The former Central Railroad of New Jersey station house, constructed in 1913, is currently used for storage and there is a covered waiting area under the building canopy. This station has no weekend service.

The West Trenton Line is a proposed NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail service that would be operated mostly on the CSX Transportation Trenton Subdivision, connecting West Trenton Station in Ewing Township, New Jersey with Newark Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey. The route would connect with the Raritan Valley Line at Bridgewater and the SEPTA West Trenton Line at West Trenton. As of 2007, NJT's estimate of the cost of creating a passenger line to West Trenton was $219 million. The project is still on the books, but no funding for the proposal has been secured to this date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth station (Central Railroad of New Jersey)</span> American railroad station

Elizabeth is a disused train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It was built by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) in 1893. It is adjacent to NJ Transit's Elizabeth station on the Northeast Corridor. That station was built and owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad; in the era of private operation passengers could transfer between the two. The CNJ right-of-way in Elizabeth is unused, and passenger trains which served the former CNJ mainline bypass Elizabeth via the Aldene Connection on their way to Newark Penn Station. The station has been renovated and used as commercial space.

<i>Queen of the Valley</i> Former US train route

The Queen of the Valley was a named train of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) that ran between Jersey City, New Jersey, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, via the Lehigh Valley and Reading. The train took about 4 12 hours to traverse the 179.5-mile (288.9 km) route, the longest in the CNJ system, exceeding the Atlantic City-bound Blue Comet. First operated in 1911, it was the longest-running train of the CNJ when discontinued in 1967.

References

  1. NJ Transit (2005). NJ Transit Rail Operations: Physical Characteristics. pp. 117–119, 142b, 173–182.
  2. 1 2 Bernhart, Benjamin L. (2004). Historic Journeys By Rail: Central Railroad of New Jersey Stations, Structures & Marine Equipment. Outer Station Project. p. 59. ISBN   1891402072.
  3. "Original Route of New Jersey Central Railroad Followed Old Post Road Between Plainfield, Elizabethport, Historian Says". The Plainfield Courier-News. December 31, 1938. p. 7. Retrieved August 2, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. 1 2 3 Clayton 1882, p. 404.
  5. "Cranford to Open New Station at Cranford Sunday". The Courier-News. Plainfield, New Jersey. August 10, 1929. p. 4. Retrieved November 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. "Central Opens New Cranford Station Today". The Courier-News. Plainfield, New Jersey. May 16, 1930. p. 16. Retrieved November 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. "QUARTERLY RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANALYSIS" (PDF). New Jersey Transit. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  8. Thorpe. "CONRAIL/NJ D.O.T. Draws the Curtain on the Bayonne Shuttle". www.thorpefamily.us. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  9. "Union County Go bus expressway" (PDF). NJ Transit Bus Service: The Next Generation. New Jersey Transit. April 26, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  10. "Bollwage supports construction of new midtown train station by NJ Transit". Suburban News. March 16, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  11. "Elizabeth Downtown Multi-Modal Integration Study". North Jersey Transportation Planning Organization. 2011. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  12. "RARITAN VALLEY LINE ONE-SEAT RIDE SERVICE TO MANHATTAN" (PDF). July 2020. pp. 76, 81. Retrieved June 9, 2023.

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